Following the pattern: a great toddler activity for developing observation skills

Following the pattern: toddler activity

On days when I set up an invitation to play that requires Ev to use a bit of brain power, he tends to be happier and sleep better. He loves LEGO® so I decided to use this and create “following the pattern”.

This is very simple to set up and you only need LEGO® bricks, DUPLO® bricks or other items of different shapes and colours.

Before you get started: be sure to check out my 8 Principles of Play!

Following the pattern: you only need Lego! — Only LEGO® bricks required. (Just make sure you don’t stand on it – ouch!)

Lay out your LEGO® bricks using different colours and shapes. Next to this, add a pile of matching bricks for your little one to choose from. That’s it!

I encourage Ev to go through the whole pattern choosing the matching brick from the pile and placing it beneath those already laid out. He loves talking about the different colours and shapes.

This is a great activity for developing awareness of shapes and colours, observation and fine motor skills.

Further development through play:

Observation: discuss whether the rectangular bricks have been placed horizontally or vertically.
Numeracy: count the bricks in each row.
Numeracy: count the studs on the top of each brick, and compare against other bricks.

Once your little one has mastered this activity, try “matching towers” which builds on the skills developed here.